Sanitary toilet seat apparatus

ABSTRACT

A sanitary toilet seat apparatus for permitting a user to raise and lower the toilet seat without having to physically touch the toilet seat. The toilet seat comprising a two-part assembly is physically coupled to the toilet bowl apparatus at two coupled pivot points located adjacent to each other. One counterweighed upper is coupled to the back end of the toilet seat. Another second counterweighed seat element is coupled to the apparatus in balanced arrangement, the upper member is balancled to provide a handle for movement of the seat well away from normally contaminated areas of the toilet seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to toilet seat lifting devices and more particularly pertains to a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus for permitting a user to raise and lower the toilet seat without having to touch the toilet seat directly.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] The use of toilet seat lifting devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, toilet seat lifting devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art whi have been developed for the fullfilment of countless objectives and requirements.

[0005] Know prior art toilet seat lifting devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,063; U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,165; U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,810; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 351,550; U.S. Pat. No. 5,39570; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,017.

[0006] While these devices fulfill their respective particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus. The inventive device includes a toilet seat which is pivotally couplable to a to toilet. At least one counterweight member is coupled to the back end of the toilet seat.

[0007] In these respects, the sanitary toilet seat apparatus acc ping to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of permitting a user to raise and lower a toilet seat without having to touch the toilet seat directly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of toilet seat lifting devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus construction wherein the same can be utilized fc permitting a user to raise and lower a toilet seat without havi to touch the toilet seat directly.

[0009] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the toilet seat lifting devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new toilet seat apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.

[0010] To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a toilet seat which is pivotally couplable to a toilet. At least one counterweight member is coupled to the back end of the toilet seat. A lid or cover on an axis parallel to the first counterwei member and adjacent thereto provides means for raising or loweri the seat member. The lid or cover member is used to manually rai or lower the seat member, being pivotally coupled to the seat member both separately and independently. Bending over to raise and lower the seat member severally could and is helpful to hand capped persons.

[0011] There has been outlined rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

[0012] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that phraseeology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0013] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate, that the conception upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regar as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do no depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0014] Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enab the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially scientists, engineers and practitioners in the a who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or pharaseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provi a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus and method which has many advantages of the toilet seat lifting devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art toilet seat lifting devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.

[0016] It is another object of the present invention to provide a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

[0017] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus which is of a durable and reliable construction.

[0018] An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor and accordingly is then is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such sanitary toilet seat apparatus economically available to the buying public.

[0019] Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus for permitting a user to raise and lower a toilet seat apparatus without having to touch the toilet seat directly.

[0020] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus which includes a toilet saet which is pivotally couplable to a toilet. At least one counterweight member is coupled to the back end of the toilet seat. Also a second counterweighted member such as the lid or cover member is mounted in parallel adjacent relationship to the first counterweight member in pivotally coupled relation to the toilet bowl to permit the toilet seat to be raised and lowered separately and independently of the toilet seat apparatus

[0021] Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new toilet seat apparatus that allows easy raising and lowering of the toilet seat by using only an upper extremity of the lid or cover member to provide leveraging movement of the toilet seat apparatus by contacting only such lid or cover member with little or minimal physical force.

[0022] These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed t and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when considerati is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus according to the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged first side view of the present invention showing the toilet seat apparatus in closed position,

[0026]FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged second side view of the present invention showing the toilet seat apparatus and lid member in partially open position.

[0027]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the toilet seat element taken alone with a pair of fastening elements for connecting the seat member to the toilet bowl apparatus.

[0028]FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the toilet seat member and lid member both individually and pivotally coupled to the toilet bowl apparatus.

[0029]FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the toilet seat apparatus similar to FIG. 3 with the toilet seat member and lid members of FIG. 5 in fully opened relation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0030] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new sanitary toilet seat apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described herein.

[0031] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the sanitary toilet seat apparatus 10 generally comprises a toilet seat 12 which is pivotally coupled to a toilet bowl apparatus. One counterbalanced member, namely the seat member 12, is coupled to the back end of the toilet seat. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of fastening members 16 and 17 is used to connect the seat member 12 to the toilet bowl apparatus 18 which is rigidly and securely fastened in place in convention fashion.

[0032] The seat member 12 is pivotally coupled to the bowl apparatus 18 at a central pivot point 20 by a pair of L-shaped fastening members 16 and 17. The pivot point 20 is central to the seat member 12 so that the seat member is made to be counterbalanced by the front and rear portions of the entire seat. FIG. 1 shows the toilet seat in its raised position in a perspective view. FIG. 2 shows the seat member 12 and an upper lid or cover member 21 in their closed positions over and covering the bowl apparatus 18.

[0033]FIG. 5 shows in an enlarged fragmentary view the pivot point 20 of the seat 12 and the lid or cover member 21 both pivotally coupled to the bowl apparatus 18. The lid 21 is coupled to the balanced seat and allows both to be raised and lowered separately and independently as desired. As shown In FIG. 5 both the seat 12 and lid 21 are closed above the bowl member 18 to essentially reside in a flat plane. FIG. 3 shows the seat and lid members in partially raised positions above the bowl member 18. FIG. 5 shows the seat and lid members fully raised. Both of these members 12 and 21 may be raised and lowered independently by applying minimal downward pressure to the upper extremity of the lid member 21. Such placement of minimal lifting force to the upper edge portion of the lid member permits raising and lowering of the seat and lid members as desired without the use of excessive lifting force to the seat and lid members. This action may be easily actuwaited by elderly or handicapped persons who may have diffultityin liftity the seat and/or lid members.

[0034] The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,896 to the same inventor as the present applicant of the present invention discloses an elongated vertical handle member which is pivotally coupled to a counterweight member. The upper end of the handle member is operated vertically to raise and lower the toilet seat. The present invention is substantially different in construction and operates differently from the present invention.

[0035] The present invention utilizes a double hinge construction at its rearward portions of the seat and lid members to effect movement of their body portions. The two pivot points are located in essentially the same plane and adjacent to each other. The sequential movement at the two pivot points 30 and 31 permits the seat and lid members to be moved sequentially by first the seat member and then the lid member by slight vertical movement of the lid upper edge portion. Contacting only the upper edge portion of the lid member and moving sme vertically downwardly only a short distance allows both the seat and lid members to be vertically moved. Only slight vertical movement of the lid such as by a hand designated by the numeral 32 permits seat and lid to be raised. The partial rotation of the pivot points 30 and 31 in a clockwise direction permits elevation of the seat and lid members as desired. Thus, the seat member 12 remains uncontaminated for reuse by others in essentially sanitary condition

[0036] In use, the user utilizes the upper end 35 of the lid member to both raise and lower the toilet seat 12 from the toilet bowl. When pivoting the toilet seat from the lowered position upwardly towards the raised position, the user pushes dowhwardly on the upper edge of the lid member. Conversely, when pivoting the toilet seat and lid members from their raised positions to their lowered positions, the user pulls upwardly on the lid upper edge.

[0037] Seat 12 is preferably manufactured from durable moldable thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polystyrene or polyurethane material having balanced front and rear portions which surround the pivot point 30. Thus, the seat 12 is easily rotatable about the pivot point by contact with the lid upper edge.

[0038] It is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relations for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to those skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

[0039] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described herein. 

I claim:
 1. A sanitary toilet seat for attachment to a toilet bowl apparatus comprising (a) a toilet seat member having top and bottom surfaces, front and back end surfaces, and a pair of side surfaces, (b) said back end of said toilet seat member being pivotally coupled to said toilet bowl apparatus at a first axis between front and back surfaces of said toilet seat member, (c) a lid member adapted to cover the upper surfaces of said toilet seat member pivotally coupled to said toilet seat member at a second axis adjacent to said first axis, (d) and counterbalancing means between said toilet seat member and said lid member adapted to vertically move said toilet seat member and said lid member separately and independently of each other by minimal downward movement of an upper portion of said lid member.
 2. The sanitary seat member in accordance with claim 1, wherein the said toilet seat member is pivotally coupled at its center of gravity to said toilet bowl apparatus.
 3. The sanitary seat member in accordance with claim 1, wherein the said lid member is pivotally coupled at its center of gravity to said toilet bowl apparatus.
 4. The sanitary seat member in accordance with claim 1, including manual means to move said toilet seat member and said lid member vertically and pivotally separately of said toilet bowl apparatus.
 5. The sanitary seat member in accordance with claim 1, wherein said toilet seat member is supported horizontally on said toilet bowl apparatus by the upper planar surface of said bowl apparatus.
 6. The sanitary seat member in accordance with claim 1, wherein manual means located at the upper extremity of said lid member is adapted to move said toilet seat member and said lid member pivotally upwardly separately and independently of said toilet bowl apparatus. 